1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to engine cleaning equipment and methods and, more particularly, to devices that utilize ultrasound to clean internal combustion (hereinafter xe2x80x9cICxe2x80x9d) engines, including the various sub-systems associated with IC engines.
The thorough cleaning of IC engines and the sub-systems they have can prolong their life expectancy and improve their reliability. Wherever there is a fluid associated with an IC engine, it can be regarded as part of a particular sub-system that is either necessary or useful to the functioning of the engine. Certainly, one of the most common sub-systems involves the lubrication of the IC engine and it is so important to the engine""s operation and longevity that the lubrication of an IC engine is generally regarded as an essential type of a sub-system for an IC engine.
With all IC sub-systems that involve the use of a fluid, eventually it becomes necessary to change that fluid. For example, in an IC engine, both the engine oil (i.e., lubricating oil) and the oil filter are periodically changed.
However, merely changing the oil and filter does not adequately clean sludge and other deposits from the interior portions of these engines. Various contaminants such as sludge, varnish, gum, metal and other deposits remain in the engine after the oil and filter have been changed where they may continue to contribute to rapid and excessive engine wear. It is desirable to remove these from the engine so as to limit their deleterious effects.
Accordingly, equipment has been designed and is therefore known to aid in cleaning the interior of an IC engine. Typically, these types of devices (i.e., cleaning machines) connect to the engine through various types of adapters that attach where desired to the engine.
Common areas of connection are at the oil filter port and also simultaneously at the oil drain pan (i.e., the oil drain plug hole) thereby creating a xe2x80x9ccircuitxe2x80x9d. A cleaning solution is pumped in under pressure through one of the adapter locations. This is done either after the oil has first been drained (i.e., removed from the engine) or, alternatively, it could conceivable occur during the oil change process itself.
The cleaning solution may be required to remain in the engine for a time and then it is flushed out. A rinse solution may be pumped in after the cleaning solution has been used to aid in removing both the cleaning solution and any sludge or other contaminants that have been loosened from the engine. After the cleaning and rinse solutions have been drained from the engine, the adapters are removed, the new oil filter and drain plug are installed, and new engine oil is added to complete the cleaning process.
There is potential for cleaning any part inside of an IC engine that any of the fluids of any of the sub-systems may contact. This includes, considering for example the fuel sub-system, any area that the fuel (or resultant combustion gases which are also considered to be part of the xe2x80x9cfluidxe2x80x9d path) may contact such as the heads, cylinders, pistons, fuel injectors, throttle bodies, etc. The advantage of cleaning in this manner is that disassembly of the engine is not generally required (other than where the various adapters are installed).
Similarly to aid in cleaning the various other types of sub-systems and their respective fluids equipment, cleaning solutions, or processes have, in general, been used. Some of these remaining IC engine sub-systems include the cooling (i.e., coolant), transmission, power steering, differential, and braking systems. Sometimes IC engines are used specifically to power simple to elaborate hydraulic based sub-systems such as are found, for example, on tractors and other agricultural or construction types of equipment and vehicles. The hydraulic sub-system likely would also benefit from a periodic xe2x80x9cdeepxe2x80x9d cleaning.
For example, it is generally well known to xe2x80x9creverse-flushxe2x80x9d the coolant system of an IC engine to aid in cleaning it by running a fluid in an opposite direction as compared to the direction that it is normally circulated throughout the engine.
However, all of these processes have heretobefore incurred various disadvantages. The first and most significant is that they are not optimally effective. Sludge and other contaminants are often difficult to dislodge from the surfaces that they are attached to and may therefore be especially difficult to flush out and remove from the engine.
Therefore, the cleaning solutions may be required to sit for a period of time in contact with the sludge and other contaminants to improve their efficacy. This, in turn, slows down the cleaning process which drives up the cost of cleaning.
There are effective devices and methods known for cleaning parts that rely upon the use of ultrasonic devices that impart ultrasound (i.e., high frequency longitudinal vibrational energy) to a fluid. The fluid may also include a cleaning solution. An object (i.e., a part) that is to be cleaned is placed in the cleaning solution. The ultrasound energy alternately impacts and cavitates upon the surface of the object so as to effectively and quickly clean it.
But for these ultrasonic cleaning devices to function, the object that is to be cleaned must first be disassembled into its component parts. It is then necessary to place these smaller component parts in the cleaning solution of the ultrasonic cleaning device.
Obviously, it is not practical to disassemble an IC engine or any of the sub-systems it uses into their component parts in order to clean all of the components parts. Nor is it practical to reassemble the engine or sub-system after such a cleaning. Cost, time, and liability (arising from either losing, damaging, or errors in reassembling) pose too serious of a drawback.
Neither is it practical to remove an entire engine and place it in a very large ultrasonic type of a cleaning apparatus. Therefore, the use of ultrasound to clean the interior portions of an IC engine has not previously been available in a practical way to utilize its benefits.
Wherever there is an IC engine and a fluid (or a combustion gas), it will be either necessary or desirable to clean it. Certain applications can be especially difficult to service. For example, the various fluids used on marine IC engines often cannot be drained under the influence of gravity (i.e., because the fluid cannot be dumped into a boat or in the water) and therefore it must be flushed out under pressure and captured. Other applications that employ IC engines have similar or other problems.associated with cleaning them and their respective sub-systems.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can be used to quickly and effectively to clean the various interior portions of an IC engine. Such an apparatus and method is desirable for use also in cleaning the various sub-systems of an IC engine. It is preferable to lessen the amount of disassembly that is required to do so.
Clearly, such an apparatus and method would be especially useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Cleaning devices and methods are, in general, known. For example, the use of engine oil flush cleaning systems are known. One such system is known as xe2x80x9cRenew Engine Power Flush System(trademark)xe2x80x9d and is offered by Ontario Limited at 1180 Stellar Drive, Unit 10, Newmarket, Ontario, L3Y 7B9.
Commercially available cleaning solutions are also available to aid in the cleaning of the lubricating system and other sub-systems of an IC engine.
Other devices and methods (known generally as xe2x80x9cflush machinesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9coil flush machinesxe2x80x9d are available for cleaning the various sub-systems. For example, an oil flush machine may require pumping a heated cleaning solution into an engine, circulating and filtering the solution, and after approximately 10 minutes of doing so (with or without the engine running) removing and collecting the solution and adding fresh motor oil.
As another example, reverse flush systems are available for cleaning the cooling system. Flush machines are adaptable for use with other systems like the transmission and cooling sub-systems, for example.
Alternatively, various chemicals and other solutions may also be added to the engine crankcase and, after a time of engine operation, disposed of with the engine oil to provide other known types of products and methods.
Other types of decarbonization and fuel system cleaners (both chemical and machine based) are also known.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can be used to clean the interior surfaces of an IC engine.
It is also an important object of the invention to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that is adaptable for use with different types, models, and sizes of IC engines.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that is adaptable for use in cleaning a gasoline fueled IC type of an engine.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that is adaptable for use in cleaning a diesel fueled IC type of an engine.
Still yet another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that is adaptable for use in cleaning an IC engine subsystem that includes a fluid (or a combustion gas) such as the coolant, transmission, fuel, brake, power steering, differential, or hydraulic sub-systems.
Yet another important object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can lessen the time required to clean an IC engine or any of its sub-systems.
Still yet another important object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can lessen the cost of cleaning an IC engine or any of its sub-systems.
Still yet another important object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can better clean the interior portions of an IC engine or any of its sub-systems.
Still yet one other object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can be adapted for use to clean part of an IC engine or IC engine sub-system when the engine is shut off.
Still yet one other important object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can be adapted for use to clean part of an IC engine or IC engine sub-system when the engine is running, for example, as when cleaning the coolant sub-system.
Still yet one other further object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that can be adapted for use to decarbonize an IC engine.
Still yet one other further important object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that includes an ultrasonic transducer that is inserted through an orifice into contact with a fluid.
Still yet one other further especially important object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that includes an ultrasonic transducer that is inserted through an orifice and into contact with a cleaning solution.
Still yet one other further useful object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that includes ultrasonic cleaning waves in a fluid to effectively clean the interior portions of an IC engine without substantial engine disassembly.
Still yet one other further important and useful object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that includes an electronic amplifier to supply power to an ultrasonic transducer.
Still yet one other further important and especially useful object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that includes control circuitry to regulate the functioning of the cleaning apparatus.
Briefly, an internal combustion engine cleaning apparatus and method that is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes a transducer that emits ultrasonic energy. An adapter that holds the transducer is attached where desired to an IC engine so that the transducer imparts ultrasonic energy directly to a fluid that is contained within the IC engine or is part of any of the engine""s sub-systems. The transducer is placed in direct contact with the fluid. For example, to clean the interior portions of the IC engine that are exposed to the lubricating oil sub-system, the transducer may be attached to an adapter that includes a portion of the transducer that passes through the oil pan drain hole so that it contacts the fluid. In this instance the engine oil is replaced temporarily by a cleaning solution and the transducer imparts ultrasonic energy to the cleaning solution thereby increasing the efficacy of the cleaning solution and cleaning process. The cleaning solution is later removed and the engine oil is replaced. A different transducer and a different adapter are used for different sizes and different types of IC engines, depending upon the specific requirements. Similarly, a different transducer and a different adapter are used to clean the various sub-systems of the IC engine.